Paper vs Digital F&I Menu: What Changes at the Desk
A paper F&I menu is a printed or hand-built sheet the finance manager fills in for each deal. A digital F&I menu is software that builds the menu from the deal, prices the products and records the customer’s choices. The main differences are prep time, rate accuracy, consistency between managers and how often the same […]
What Is eRating in F&I?
eRating is the electronic pricing of F&I protection products, such as vehicle service contracts and GAP, for one specific vehicle and deal. The F&I menu asks each product provider for current rates and eligibility, then shows the results on the menu, so the finance manager doesn’t re-key the deal into separate provider portals. What does […]
How Long Should the F&I Process Take? Benchmarks and Fixes for 2026
A well-run F&I process takes about 30 minutes from turnover to signed contract, with the menu presentation itself running five to seven minutes. Many stores still take an hour or more. The extra time rarely comes from customers asking questions. It comes from rekeying deal data, fixing paper contracts, and menu presentations that change from […]
What Is a Connected F&I Menu Across Dealership Locations?
A dealer group with six rooftops doesn’t actually have one F&I process, even if the org chart suggests it should. It usually has six, loosely related, held together by whatever each store’s manager happened to learn from whoever trained them, whenever that training happened to occur. Connected F&I menu, defined A connected F&I menu across […]
What Is E-Signature for F&I Contracts?
Somewhere between a customer agreeing to a deal and that deal actually getting funded, a signature has to happen. How that one step works determines whether the rest of the process is genuinely fast, or just looks fast right up until it hits that point. E-signature, defined E-signature for F&I contracts is the electronic signing […]
California’s CARS Act Takes Effect October 1: What Changes in F&I
California’s CARS Act (SB 766) takes effect October 1, 2026. For dealers, it means itemized written disclosure of every F&I add-on, proof that each add-on was voluntary, a ban on add-ons that give the customer no real benefit, and a new three-day right to cancel on many used-vehicle sales. It arrives after the FTC withdrew […]
What Is a Digital F&I Menu?
Walk the F&I office of ten different dealerships in the same group and you’ll often find ten different menu presentations. Same products, different order, different pitch, different paperwork. A digital F&I menu is what closes that gap, and it’s worth understanding clearly before evaluating whether a given platform actually delivers it. Digital F&I menu, defined […]
What Is E-Contracting for Dealerships?
E-contracting for dealerships means creating and submitting deal contracts electronically instead of on paper. The term covers two different processes: lender eContracting, which sends the retail installment or lease contract to the bank for funding, and F&I product eContracting, which submits service contract, GAP and other protection-product contracts to their providers. Dealers use “e-contracting” for […]
F&I Menu Compliance in 2026: Why the 100% Rule Isn’t Optional Anymore
| In March 2026, the FTC sent warning letters to 97 auto dealer groups covering more than 200 stores, telling them the price they advertise has to be the price the customer actually pays. If your F&I menu process still depends on which manager happens to be at the desk, that letter should have […]
How a Digital F&I Menu Keeps Your Dealership Compliant in 2026
| The FTC isn’t sending warning letters anymore. They’re sending penalties. If your F&I process still runs on printed menus, verbal disclosures, and paper signatures, your exposure is bigger than you think — and 2026 is not the year to find out the hard way. A digital F&I menu isn’t just a better way to […]